Depression: its body language, and how to free yourself

It is so curious watching how the body and its movements, both internal and external, reflect with surprising precision, what we think and feel. There are certain personality traits obvious enough to show us how our thoughts and feelings – not just of those whom we live with, but our own as well – noticeably influence the way we act in and react to life.

For example: someone with depressive tendencies has a personality of very little spontaneity. Their movements are slow, and lack energy and life. In extreme cases, the individual can appear practically motionless when facing life experiences, almost as if they didn’t have energy to move or react. It’s as it the circulation of their vital energy were blocked or obstructed by something that seemed greater than their own strengths or possibilities.

Depression seeps into all vital bodily functions, like a sponge. In a depressive individual breathing frequently slows, they look miserable, their bodies look tired and the light in their eyes is gone. They have no appetite for daily food or sex.

It’s almost as if their entire body were saying “I’m out of gas! I don’t want to move an inch”. The body shows no interest in anything having to do with living.

How to relieve depression

One of Dr. Lowen’s recommendations is to increase the body’s vital energy through breathing: “Breathe deeper and fuller…”. Increasing oxygen intake revitalizes the entire body, which fills the individual with life, nearly instantly.

Another way to help free someone from depression is to consult a good bio-energetic therapist. All the tensions, pressures, anger, etc., that are left trapped begin accumulating over time in the body, creating energetic knots. These energetic knots block, over time, the free flow of energy. These knots appear as physical tensions in various areas of the body. If we do not help the body to free these pent up emotions, we will very quickly begin to suffer from even more severe pains, not only emotionally, but physically as well. The energetic knots are the causes of all illness. The bio-energetic therapist will help liberate these knots with a truly effective body therapy.

Lastly, you must keep in mind that the overwhelming demands of today’s age, such as high expectations and concentrating on meeting them, ignoring the more simple things in life, creates a huge sense of anxiety and exhaustion, frustration, and physical resistance. Over time, this translates into chronic exhaustion or depression, during which time you live essentially for the future, avoiding the richness of the present moment. This way of life turns human beings into slaves, and any type of slavery brings unhappiness. It is exactly this unhappiness that brings the evils of these times, along with all our illness.

So if you ever feel depressed, or find yourself with someone depressed, know that what you need most of all is to truly give yourself free time to wander for a while and think about the things that make you most happy. Begin to look for ways to make them reality. And, if you actually feel you’re doing what you want and still don’t understand why you don’t feel happy, look for how it is you’ve become a slave to what you want. Even the most beautiful and delightful flower turns ugly and depressed when held captive.